2026 Instructors

Kathleen Conneely – Int/Adv Whistle

Born in Bedford, England, to Irish parents from Galway and Longford, Kathleen began playing Irish music at age twelve, taking lessons with her siblings, Bernadette, Michael & Pauline, from Brendan Mulkere, a well- regarded teacher living in London from Co. Clare. Her father Michael played fiddle, accordion, and tin whistle, and the Conneely home was always filled with music from records and live sessions with many visiting musicians. Over the years, Kathleen has lived in London, Dublin, Rhode Island, Boston & Chicago, where there was always a lively traditional Irish music scene, which has helped to sustain her passion for the music. She has taught for Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann both in Dublin and Boston, at the Boston College Irish Studies program; Gaelic Roots, Feile-Chois-Cuain in Louisburgh, Co. Mayo, the Catskills Irish Arts Week, the Swannanoa Gathering in Asheville, NC, the O’Flaherty Retreat in Texas, and at various Irish Music Festivals throughout the US. In 2012, she released her first highly acclaimed solo tin whistle CD, ‘The Coming of Spring’, and in 2022 collaborated with fellow musicians and friends; Sean Clohessy and John Coyne in Boston to release a new album, “All Jokes Aside”.

Katie Geringer – fiddle Fundamentals

Katie Geringer is a classical violinist turned Irish fiddler based in Houston, TX. An initial departure from her classical training led Katie down a path of performing bluegrass and old-time music in north Florida and around the southeast where she grew up. Once acclimated to the folk music world, she quickly gravitated towards Irish music and began listening, learning, and imitating as much as she could from recordings of notable players in the genre. 

Katie attended Florida State University, receiving a bachelor’s degree in Music Education and a Certificate of Violin Performance. After teaching public school orchestra for several years, Katie’s love of Irish music led her to Ireland where she attended the University of Limerick and completed a master’s degree in Traditional Irish Music Performance. While in Ireland, Katie competed in the Limerick County Fleadh and was awarded first place in the senior division. Most recently, Katie has toured the northeast and midwest US as the fiddle player for a dance production by Dublin Irish Dance. 

A passionate, thoughtful, and in-demand teacher, Katie has enjoyed teaching in a variety of settings like summer camps, in-school Irish music workshops, a collegiate Irish Ensemble at Florida State University, the Houston School of Irish Music, the Gulf Coast Cruinniú, and the O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat. She has also presented at the American String Teacher’s Association national conference on teaching Irish music authentically in the classroom. Katie is certified to teach the Rolland Method (Level 1), a teaching method that uses healthy, relaxed movement to promote ease and fluidity in string playing, and maintains an active private studio of both classical and Irish fiddle students. 

Nathan Gourley – INT/ADV guitar/accompaniment

Nathan Gourley is a Boston-based multi-instrumentalist, known for his expressive playing on both fiddle and guitar. A sought-after performer and teacher, he has recorded and toured extensively, contributing both melody and accompaniment to projects like Brightly or Darkly with Laura Feddersen, Copley Street with Joey Abarta, The Truckley Howl with Mairéad Hurley and John Blake, and Ship in the Clouds. His playing has made him a fixture in traditional music circles worldwide. He has performed and taught at festivals from New Zealand to Norway, including Catskills Irish Arts Week, Cascadia Irish Music Week, Ceol Aneas, and the Norse-Gael Folk Fest.

Cathal Hayden – Int/Adv Banjo & Mandolin

Cathal is a fiddle and banjo player from County Tyrone. This virtuoso will be known to many from his band Four Men And A Dog, one of the most successful Irish bands of all time – their debut album “Barking Mad” is one of the most successful Irish Traditional albums in history.

Having been immersed in music from a young age, he has received the All-Ireland Champion on both fiddle and banjo many times. Cathal has formed numerous alliances with musicians, including the renowned accordionist Mairtin O’Connor, piano accordion maestro Alan Kelly and Bothy Band piper Paddy Keegan.

In more recent years the duet with Mairtin O’Connor has taken him across the globe and he has undertaken tours of Japan with the famous O’Domhnaill family, and China, Iceland and the Faroe Islands as guests of the Donal Lunny band.

In addition to his many musical collaborations, Cathal has arranged scores for theatre productions for both the Lyric Theatre and Grand Opera House.

After 40 years of playing, Cathal’s contribution to Irish music is immeasurable – he is Ireland’s greatest ambassador for banjo and fiddle playing and continues to thrill audiences across the world with his extraordinary musicianship.

Caroline KeAne – int/adv concertina

Caroline Keane is a highly respected and fully qualified traditional Irish music teacher and performer, specialising in concertina. She holds both a BA and a first-class honours MA in Irish Traditional Music Performance from the University of Limerick. Caroline has been teaching traditional music since the age of 17 and has since built an international career as both a performer and educator. She has lectured in Irish music at Sacred Heart University and is frequently invited to deliver masterclasses at universities and festivals throughout Ireland and abroad.

As one of the featured tutors on the Online Academy of Irish Music (OAIM), Caroline teaches concertina to a global student base. She also offers one-to-one lessons, group classes, and workshops, both in person and online. In addition to concertina, she plays tin whistle and piano, and has a strong background in music theory and composition.

Caroline’s teaching style is warm, encouraging, and rooted in a deep love for Irish traditional music. She enjoys meeting new students of all ages and skill levels and believes that music should be accessible to everyone. Her teaching philosophy is simple: “It’s never too late to start—just do it. You’ll never regret picking up an instrument.”

Éilís Kennedy- Song

Éilís was born and raised in West Kerry, Ireland by parents who passed on a lifelong and committed interest in the poetry and songs of that region. The emotion and stories associated with Gaelic singing informed her love of song, having been fortunate to listen to many of the finest singers in her locality. As well as being recognized as one of Ireland’s foremost folk singers, Éilís plays whistle and Irish flute and is a fluent native Gaelic speaker.

Exposure to the English ballad tradition and folk revival and later still the rich traditions of American folk saw her songs and choices broaden. Her voice was recognized as special at a young age.

She and her husband opened a bar specializing in traditional music in early 1990s Dingle, it became a mecca for those who had a primary interest in songs. Éilís’ Wednesday night singing sessions were rich in songs, singers and musicians and that tradition continues to this day. She feels that songs are meant to be shared and listened to. “Abair amhrán“ in Irish means “Sing a song“ but in fact it literally means tell a song. That is what Éilís does and this gift of storytelling marks her as truly special.

Her first album Time To Sail was released in 2001 to huge critical acclaim and led her to travel with her fellow musicians on a journey which continues today. From the traditional Amhrán na Leabhar to a cover of Sandy Denny’s Who Knows Where The Time Goes and a funky reworking of The Factory Girl, Éilís’ breadth and versatility shines.

Over the years Éilís has released five solo albums, collaborated with world renowned musicians including William Coulter, Edwin Huizinga, Séamus Begley, Pauline Scanlon, Donogh Hennessy, Karan Casey, Shaun Davey, Rita Connolly, Barry Phillips, Shelley Phillips, Maeve Gilchrist, Seamus Egan, Winifred Horan, Steve Cooney and performed all over the world .

Her ballad The Flannel Red is one she composed about the lore and superstition surrounding her Blasket Island Great Grandfather’s drowning. 

Her songwriting ability has grown and in 2020 the themed album So Ends This Day is an extraordinary collection based on the lives and adventures of 19th century New England whalemen! The late Brian O’Donovan in Boston gave this album singular praise on his Celtic Sojourn show and he was instrumental in having Éilís perform these songs at Éilís is no stranger to American audiences, and has received three Live Ireland Best Female Vocal accolades, and ACLSR Female Vocalist of the Year 2021. She regularly tours with Grammy award – Winning guitarist William Coulter, and most recently has performed with arch–guitar player Peter Blanchette. She has performed in countless Christmas Shows nationwide in the US notably with Brian O‘Donovan A Christmas Celtic Sojourn, Irish Christmas in America with Oisín Mac Diarmada and performed in the New York’s Carnegie Hall (for Christmas with Tim Janis). Over the years Éilís has been involved with Santa Cruz, California Community Music School teaching Irish singing, and gives singing workshops wherever she travels on tour.

Her love of songs and singing are very evident, and her education backgound definitely helps! She still uses her grandmother Ellie Keane’s old Gaelic song books, complete with her annotations from the 1920’s – this is Éilís to her very core. She is deeply rooted in a treasured tradition but conveys a fresh and open approach to her music and songs.

Liz Knowles – int/adv fiddle

Liz Knowles’ fascination with music has always been rooted in how one can arrive, land, and leave a note. Her early foundations were in classical music but her discovery of Irish music connected the dots between memories of her grandfather’s singing, a lifelong exploration of modal melodies in Early music, and the “In-Between”, a life theme for Liz that illuminates the challenge and vitality of the liminal places in life and music. 

Liz has established herself as a dynamic performer and recording artist as soloist on the soundtrack for “Michael Collins”, fiddler with “Riverdance”, Broadway’s “The Pirate Queen” and “The Green Bird”, soloist with the New York Pops and featured artist for the Ireland 100 Festival at the Kennedy Center. She was music director and producer for several stage show and recording projects that toured Europe, Asia and South America. Her compositions and arrangements of tunes and songs have been recorded by John Whelan, Flook, Chicago’s Metropolis Symphony Orchestra, Liz Carroll, Beolach, Bachue, J.P. Cormier, Michael Black, John Doyle, and Ensemble Galilei. Liz is known as an active and engaging teacher at camps around the world as well as conducting her own online masterclasses, courses, and lessons and is currently an adjunct professor at New England Conservatory in Boston. Liz has composed and produced music for two exhibits featuring Irish art first at the Art Institute in Chicago and most recently at Notre Dame’s Snite Museum. This last year, she has produced a podcast with Liz Carroll called “The Lizzes Podcast” and is currently touring with Open the Door for Three, The String Sisters, The Martin Hayes Quartet, and a new trio with Niall Vallely and Niwel Tsumbu. 
www.lizknowles.com

John Liestman – Uilleann Pipes Fundamentals/Intermediate

John Liestman has been playing Irish traditional music on the tenor banjo, mandolin, and uilleann pipes since the late 1970’s. His piping has been greatly influenced by Brian McNamara, Benedict Koehler, Mickey Dunne, and Kieran O’Hare, none of whom should be blamed.
John has taught the Fundamentals Mandolin / Tenor banjo at the O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat five times, and has taught at the St Louis Tionol and other such events. He regularly contributes to the thriving Houston session scene and is a proud member of the Irish trad performance group, The Slip Jigolos.

Most recently, John has founded the Round Mandolins company and is producing extremely loud yet toneful mandolins specifically geared toward Irish session players who do not want to be Mr. Irrelevant. Before having children, he wrote a best-selling tutor book and made Northumbrian smallpipes, becoming the first non-UK winner of the Northumbrian Pipers’ Society pipe making competition in 1997. He later saw the light and shifted his focus to uilleann pipes.

Kieran O’Hare – Int/Adv Flute

Kieran O’Hare is a highly respected and sought-after performer of traditional Irish music on the uilleann pipes, concert flute, and tinwhistle. He was educated at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where he continued the process of learning the tradition of uilleann piping from master pipers.

In 1994, Kieran received the honor of being the first American-born player of Irish music invited to perform in the annual ‘Ace and Deuce of Piping’ concert, held in Ireland’s National Concert Hall. Since then, he has made countless appearances at festivals and concerts across Europe, North and South America, Japan, and China. Among the many artists with whom Kieran has performed, toured or recorded are Mick Moloney and The Greenfields of America; fiddlers Liz Carroll and Jerry Holland; baroque performers Ensemble Galilei; the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; Irish choral group ANÚNA; the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra; the New York Pops Orchestra at Carnegie Hall; Bonnie Raitt; The Paul Winter Consort; Josh Groban; and Don Henley.

Kieran is a staunch advocate for and master teacher of Irish traditional music, including stints at the Willie Clancy Summer School, The Swannanoa Gathering, the Catskills Irish Arts Week, The Augusta Heritage Festival, and at various pipers’ tionols and musical gatherings around the country. Since 2007, he has collaborated with Liz Knowles on musical design and direction of large-scale European-based productions integrating traditional and contemporary Irish music with dance and song. Their most recent project has been the ‘grand spectacle’ Fête de la St. Patrick et de la Bretagne, a presentation of the music and dance of Ireland and Brittany.

For over ten tears, Kieran has performed with acclaimed trio Open the Door for Three, along with Liz Knowles and Dublin-born bouzouki player and singer Pat Broaders. Their fourth album together, A Prosperous Gale, will be available in 2024.

He has served on the Board of Directors of Ná Píobairí Uilleann in Dublin, an organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of uilleann piping worldwide, as well as the board of The Northeast Tionól, North America’s largest uilleann piping event. www.openthedoorforthree.com

Colm Phelan – Int/Adv Bodhrán

Portlaoise-born Colm is one of the founding members of Trad super group “Goitse” who have released six critically acclaimed albums and have an extensive year round touring schedule. He has been playing the Bodhrán since childhood and has been a prominent contender in the All Ireland competition since his earliest years of playing. He is a winner of numerous medals down through the years including being the first ever World Bodhran Champion, in Miltown, Co Kerry in 2006, and in the same year winning the All Ireland in Letterkenny for the second year in succession. This back-to-back achievement was closely echoed in his unique multiple Ceili Band drum competition successes. 

In 2012, Colm released his solo CD “Full Cirlce” which was described as having “thrills and spills by the dozen and is a roller coaster ride of jaw dropping and breath-taking proportions, clearly going where no bodhrán player has gone before” – John O’Regan, Irish Music Magazine 

Colm graduated with a BA in Irish Music and Dance at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick in 2011 and in MA in Irish Music performance in 2016. 

He is one of the most sought after Bodhran tutors in Irish Music. His teaching ability has seen him lead Bodhrán workshops in France, Germany, Finland, Holland, UK, Italy, USA, and at renown Irish schools such as Junior Daveys Bodhran academy in Sligo and at ‘Craiceann’. 

In 2016, Colm co-founded the International Bodhrán school “Búla Buzz” alongside Robbie Walsh. The school runs annually in Dublin and attracts students from all over the world. 

“Colm Phelan Encompasses Innovation & Tradition with every beat’” – Junior Davey (Five Time All Ireland Champion)
“Colm Phelan is one of Ireland’s leading young percussionists, and an exceptional Bodhrán player, providing new dimensions to the voice instrument” – Niall Keegan, Course Director, BA Irish Music and Dance.

Kim Robertson – harp

Kim Robertson is a renowned performer, arranger and recording artist who has stretched the boundaries of the harp for a new generation of performers and audiences. As a pioneer in the American folk harp movement, she combines an improvisational spirit with a passionate sense of tradition, bringing a contemporary touch to a centuries-old instrument.

Born in Wisconsin, she is classically trained on piano and orchestral harp. In the mid-70’s, Kim’s discovery of the Celtic harp grew into a profound love for the instrument, setting her upon the path of exploration for which she is now widely known. Kim has traveled with her harp from concert halls to grass roots folk clubs, from luxury cruise ships to remote mountaintops; she has performed concerts by candlelight, delivered singing telegrams and played herself on an episode of “Beverly Hills 90210”.

She has toured throughout the USA, Canada and Europe and is still recognized as one of the most prominent folk harpists performing today. Her work encompasses numerous recording projects, published harp arrangements and an international itinerary of workshops and retreats.
www.kimrobertson.net

Robert Shaddox – beginning bodhrán

Robert traveled to Cork as a young man and fell in love with the traditional music that his host family played. He has been playing bodhrán for over 25 years and has studied with bodhrán stalwarts such as Mark Stone, Albert Alfonzo and Anna Colliton. 

Robert was the bodhránist with Houston’s premier traditional Irish band, The Jig Is Up!, for the ten years of its existence. He is now featured with Houston’s newest traditional Irish band, “Hup! and is the bodhran instructor for the Houston School of Irish Music.

Robert is an Occupational Therapist by profession and has worked extensively in the rehabilitation of physical disability, psychiatric illness and industrial injury. He is a Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist who has given multiple presentations to industry regarding the prevention of repetitive stress and ergonomic injuries. For four years Robert was an Adjunct Professor in the School Occupational Therapy at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston. He has also led classes at The O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat on how to prevent musician’s repetitive injuries. 

Brian Shaw – Banjo/Mandolin Fundamentals

Brian Shaw has been involved with acoustic music for 40 years, having played stringed instruments since the early 1980s. He was raised in an extended musical family of bluegrassers, where music was a regular part of all family gatherings. His extensive musical history includes decades of playing rock and blues guitar and genres such as Old Time, Contra Dance, Bluegrass, Jazz and Blues. He can also share stories about his early experiences playing punk rock in the 80s and 90s.

In recent years, he has focused significantly on Irish music. Brian started playing Irish music around 2010 and reportedly has “not looked back” since. He is a regular participant in the Irish session scenes in both Houston and College Station. He is an instructor with the Houston School of Irish Music where he teaches beginner Mandolin and Banjo as well as intermediate melody for all instruments.

In his spare time, Brian serves as a professor of Plant Pathology and Microbiology at Texas A&M University. Dr. Shaw is a professional educator who has spent more than 25 years teaching graduate and undergraduate courses focused on fungal biology. Additionally, his professional efforts include conducting research on fungi.